The process of devising healthcare establishments requires substantial concentration due to the significance of one’s surroundings while receiving medical assistance. Expertly designed spaces can positively affect building users’ well-being and enhance recovery (Gaminiesfahani et al., 2020). It is important to consider the usage of medical machines alongside the therapeutic environment to achieve good patient outcomes (Gaminiesfahani et al., 2020). The proposed birthing center (BC) will incorporate information technology (IT) equipment to assist specialists in providing adequate care while also including creative healing elements to help mothers and their children recover.
Technology, Equipment, and Design Elements
Technology and equipment planned to be employed in the BC involve contemporary devices that would sustain the operation of the facility. First, the BC will need computers, laptops, and other similar gadgets to maintain different procedures. Second, the center will use tools similar to electronic health records to monitor the health history of women and children in the establishment (Reddy et al., 2019). Third, the BC will install software that will assist in making better decisions and reducing potential errors (Reddy et al., 2019). Fourth, the facility will utilize such applications as Zoom to be able to conduct virtual prenatal and postpartum visits, which have become a necessity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Davis-Floyd et al., 2020). The listed IT equipment and technology are intended to assist the BC’s employees and service users in the long term by examining health history, aiding decision-making, and connecting specialists with patients.
The BC will incorporate design elements to create a healing environment. First, the center will organize a green recreation area where the mothers would be able to rest, thus contributing to their psycho-emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being (Chashchina et al., 2021). Second, the facility will set up several speakers to play certain melodies so that the children will be more comfortable since music has positive effects on newborns and infants (Gaminiesfahani et al., 2020). Third, the BC will prioritize installing bright natural lights, which can benefit people both psychologically and physiologically (Gaminiesfahani et al., 2020). Creative healing elements that the facility plans to utilize are meant to assist women and their children in relaxing.
Community-Based Sustainable Healthcare Facility
Furthermore, the BC will meet the needs of the local community by providing them with adequate care. On the one hand, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has made community birth a more appealing alternative for numerous pregnant individuals (Davis-Floyd et al., 2020). On the other hand, being able to give birth in a safe and sustainable environment can be considered an element of reproductive justice (Julian et al., 2020). Designing a community-based sustainable medical establishment will address the needs of the BC’s local community by offering them an opportunity to childbirth in a comfortable setting.
Renovation
If the establishment under examination was a renovation, aspects that would have been done differently concern design improvements that would benefit employees and patients. For example, more windows would have been added to provide access to natural scenery and lighting, which both have positive influences on people’s well-being (Anwar et al., 2020; Gaminiesfahani et al., 2020). Moreover, each area, whether a waiting or inpatient room, would be painted in colors appealing to the human brain and the atmosphere of the given setting (Anwar et al., 2020). Finally, each space would be modernized in accordance with contemporary demands. For instance, translucent buffers would have been placed in visiting areas so that pregnant persons would be able to interact with their relatives but with a reduced risk of transmitting infections (Chashchina et al., 2021). Accordingly, there would not be major changes if the facility were a renovation, yet they would have been oriented toward improvement.
Successes and Challenges
The proposed facility design has presented both successes and challenges. The primary victories were developing a setting where mothers and their newborns would be relaxed during the initial days of childbirth while specialists would be able to work in a comfortable space. Nonetheless, the main difficulties were locating necessary details and finding solutions that would be attainable yet useful. Consequently, what would be done differently to address the identified challenges is starting the search for information earlier to have additional time and utilizing more specific keywords.
References
Anwar, S. R., Firmansyah, R., & Salayanti, S. (2020). Study of interior elements in women and children’s hospital on application of healing environment. Case Study: RSIA Graha Bunda. EProceedings of Art & Design, 7(2), 4375-4381.
Chashchina, A., Ulme, A., & Skopintsev, A. (2021). Approaches to modernizing the architectural and planning structure of maternity institutions in the context of a pandemic and a new social distance. Architecture and Urban Planning, 17(1), 70-78. Web.
Davis-Floyd, R., Gutschow, K., & Schwartz, D. A. (2020). Pregnancy, birth and the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Medical Anthropology, 39(5), 413-427. Web.
Gaminiesfahani, H., Lozanovska, M., & Tucker, R. (2020). A scoping review of the impact on children of the built environment design characteristics of healing spaces. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 13(4), 98-114. Web.
Julian, Z., Robles, D., Whetstone, S., Perritt, J. B., Jackson, A. V., Hardeman, R. R., & Scott, K. A. (2020). Community-informed models of perinatal and reproductive health services provision: A justice-centered paradigm toward equity among Black birthing communities. Seminars in Perinatology, 44(5), 1-20. Web.
Reddy, S., Fox, J., & Purohit, M. P. (2019). Artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare delivery. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 112(1), 22-28. Web.